If you have a preschool DC, work and don't have a cleaner then how often do you...

[reastie]

..do things like polish, dust, hoover, wipe the skirting/door frames, clean the bathroom, clean windows etc etc?

Just wondering really. I have a 1YO DD and work on 3 days every week. I like everything being really clean and tidy but am really struggling to have the energy and time to achieve this. Sometimes it's impossible to do any cleaning with DD around. I've read alot of threads similar to this one but loads of people responding have cleaners to help and children who are at school so might have more time to get on with things without a toddler or baby stuck to them all day long.

Any hints for keeping a house clean and tidy gratefully received also

I have fulltime job, 2 yr old ds and don't have cleaner, also don't have a clean house!

Most of my energy goes into basics, like dishes, laundry, ironing, de-cluttering and just basic cleaning like wiping tops.

Anything non-essential (like polishing, cleaning windows etc) gets done hardly ever, maybe yearly?

Tidy is the key for us, and what i aim towards. Obviously the bathroom etc gets cleaned, but not as thoroughly as i'd like - not doing skirting boards, tiles etc iykwim.

Sometimes you just have to let things go and focus on the priorities. A clean bathroom and kitchen, clean bodies and clean clothes are a priority, along with enjoying your dc's early years. Take leaf out of pootles book.

I do think like that mirry but have that permanent guilt I can't get everything done and can never feel completely relaxed with the state of the house . I have already dramatically lowered my standards! We keep on top of things like dishwasher, washing, bathroom, keeping things generally tidy (and that feels hard enough) but it's the 'extra' bits I never get around to. I have friends who have lovely clean houses and they don't have cleaners and they work - I wonder if their homes are always like that then or if they have to do a big clean before I come over to make it look like their house is always perfect which might be what I do too!

Any extras are once in a blue moon here! Even ironing is only a fortnightly event in our house...

I had a rare child-free morning yesterday and did a major sort out of kids' bedrooms, toys, clothes etc. I also did the floors and steam cleaned the bathroom-the gunk coming out of the hinges of the toilet seat was truly disgusting!

I will do the windows soon as they are very very smeary...

I also do any 'quiet' cleaning jobs when the dc are asleep, including skirting board wiping, cleaning cupboard doors and the like.

Don't feel bad about it-having a pristine house isn't the be all and end all :)

issimma waiting till DD is sleeping won't work as she doesn't go to sleep until 8:30, and then I'm propping my eyes open and in bed soon after myself . I do the wash load a day though and that really helps, plus I never iron and only hoover the bits that really need it (ie the hall) every other day or so. DD has also started helping me empty the dishwasher, which is great

I was just about to start almost exactly the same thread! I have pretty low standards but I'm even finding those difficult to maintain at the mo.

I just do the bare minimum (that excludes ironing) and get DH to hoover when he has time. I can't do atm as my hips are bad. He doesn't often have the time so the dustbuster is my favourite household appliance!

I can't do anything after DD is in bed, apart from throw all the toys into a basket. I do a lot of the things in issimma's list.

I have e-cloths for the bathroom, so I have a quick wipe over the sink when I have the motivation/energy. I also sometimes grab a wet wipe if I'm chatting on the phone and do a bit of damp dusting. Or wipe the finger prints off the mirror.

Any other tips for maintaining very low standards in the face of low energy and motivation?

Get a cleaning company in once in a while to spring clean and get on top of things.
Send your ironing out.

It gets worse with each additional child as well.

just as well I'm not planning on having any more

You just have to relax standards a little. It all gets easier :-) i had two under three and as above only did the most important jobs.
They are only small for a while.

only before visitors come
if we didn't have regular guests, someone would need to call environmental health